Nine Nights Owl Song

Luoyang, the imperial city.

Xiao Yan didn't sleep a wink all night again.

He lay on the bed in the Prince Zhao's mansion, staring at the top of the tent with his eyes open. In recent days, Su Jiuge's words had been echoing in his mind: "How long are you going to keep pretending?"

That day, she looked at him with her bright black eyes and asked him a question. He didn't answer, not because he didn't want to, but because he was afraid to.

He'd been pretending for over twenty years, to the point where he almost forgot who he was, to the point where he couldn't tell which face was real and which was fake, to the point where he didn't even dare to look at himself in the mirror.

It's almost dawn outside the window.

Xiao Yan has entered the palace.

He did not hand over the sign.

He went straight to the Imperial Study. Gao Dequan stopped him at the door, looking troubled.

"Sixth Prince, His Majesty is reviewing memorials. Would you like to—"

Xiao Yan looked at Gao Dequan.

"Eunuch Gao, I see that the Emperor doesn't need to present his nameplate. He hasn't done so in over twenty years."

Gao Dequan stepped aside.

Xiao Yan pushed open the door and entered. Emperor Yong'an sat behind his dragon desk, holding a vermilion brush in his hand.

He paused for a moment when he saw Xiao Yan enter.

"Sixth Prince? What brings you here?" Emperor Yong'an's tone was somewhat surprised.

Xiao Yan walked to the dragon desk and stood still, without bowing.

"Father, I would like to have a word with you."

Emperor Yong'an put down his vermilion brush, leaned back in his chair, and looked at the son he had watched over for more than twenty years.

He wasn't wearing his usual bright red python robe today; instead, he wore a pale white casual outfit, his hair tied up with a jade crown, and a gold ribbon around his waist. His complexion was somewhat pale, with dark circles under his eyes, making him look less like a prince and more like an ordinary person who hadn't slept well.

His posture was different—no hunching, no stooping, no joking. His back was straight, his gaze steady, like a different person.

Emperor Yong'an stared at him for a long time.

"Are you here to confront me?"

Xiao Yan looked into Emperor Yong'an's eyes.

"Your subject has come to show Father Emperor what kind of person your son really is."

He continued.

"Qianji Tower was built when I was seventeen. It started with just a few people gathering information in Luoyang. Later, it gradually grew and its reach extended throughout the country. Now, Qianji Tower has thousands of intelligence agents, spread across every prefecture of the Great Liang. Qianji Tower knows everything about the affairs of the court, the army, the local areas, and the martial arts world."

Emperor Yong'an remained silent.

He knew all this; it was written in the secret report.

But hearing it from Xiao Yan's own mouth feels different.

"I have already compiled the accounts, personnel lists, and intelligence network of the Thousand Machines Pavilion."

Xiao Yan took out a thick scroll from his sleeve and placed it on the dragon table.

"Father can check at any time. Everything that Qianji Tower has done over the years is in there. Not a single thing has harmed the court, and not a single thing has betrayed the Great Liang."

Emperor Yong'an looked at the dossier but did not open it.

Why did you build the Thousand Machine Tower?

Xiao Yan remained silent for a moment.

"Because I want to know what those people in the court are doing. What is the Crown Prince doing? What is the Second Prince doing? What are the civil and military officials doing? What are they doing behind Father's back?"

Xiao Yan's voice was calm:

"From a young age, I have known that in the position of a prince, not fighting means death. I do not want to fight; I only want to live. The Thousand Machine Tower is my eyes and ears. With it, I can know who wants to harm me and avoid them in advance."

Xiao Yan remained silent for a moment.

"My father asked me why I pretended to be useless, and this is the answer."

The Imperial Study fell silent.

Emperor Yong'an looked at Xiao Yan, at his son whom he thought was a good-for-nothing.

He stood before him, neither humble nor arrogant, neither yielding nor backing down.

Like a tree that has grown underground for more than 20 years, with roots that are so deep that they seem bottomless.

It has finally broken through the soil today.

"Does Su Jiuge know your identity?" Emperor Yong'an asked.

"I know. I've known since day one."

When did you two meet?

"Last year, I sent Bai Yu to invite her. Qianji Tower needed a knife."

"She agreed?"

"Her cooperation with Qianji Tower isn't aimed at me, but at the Dark Pavilion. She wants to destroy the Dark Pavilion and needs Qianji Tower's intelligence. Qianji Tower needs her weapon; it's a win-win situation." Xiao Yan paused.

"Later, she became the head of the Dark Pavilion, and the cooperation between the Thousand Machine Tower and the Dark Pavilion deepened. Then, the Emperor bestowed a marriage upon her."

Emperor Yong'an remained silent for a moment.

"What do you think of Su Jiuge?"

"She is not a shield," Xiao Yan said.

"She is the one standing next to me."

Emperor Yong'an looked at him.

"You like her?"

Xiao Yan remained silent.

He didn't want to answer this question, nor could he answer it, but he didn't want to lie to his father.

"Yes."

One word, very light.

But in this quiet imperial study, every word resonated deeply.

"I understand." His voice was hoarse and low, like a stone thrown into a deep well, the dull echo reverberating in the imperial study.

"I already knew."

Xiao Yan's pupils contracted slightly.

"I am the Emperor." Emperor Yong'an looked at him.

"Is there anything in this world that I don't know? I've known for a long time that Qianji Tower is yours. I know you've been playing dumb in court. You think you've fooled me? You think your little tricks can escape my eyes?"

Xiao Yan's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

"I'm not telling you, not because I don't know, but because I'm waiting for you. Waiting for you to tell me the truth." Emperor Yong'an's voice suddenly grew louder, almost shouting.

"You unfilial son! You've been pretending to be useless for over twenty years! Do you think I can't see through you? Do you think I'm blind? Do you think I don't know that you took the dowry money left by your mother and used it to open a teahouse? Do you think I don't know that you built the Thousand Machine Tower? Do you think I don't know how many things you've done in secret all these years?"

Emperor Yong'an stood up and walked to Xiao Yan.

"You are my son! My blood flows in your veins! What can't you say to me? Why are you pretending? Why are you hiding? Why are you concealing yourself? You are a prince! Not a rat!"

Xiao Yan lowered his head.

He didn't speak; he didn't know what to say.

Father Emperor knew all along, knew everything, always knew, and had been waiting.

Wait until he says it himself.

Emperor Yong'an suddenly laughed, but it wasn't a laugh of relief; it was a laugh of anger and heartache.

He reached out and slapped Xiao Yan on the head.

Xiao Yan was taken aback.

Emperor Yong'an slapped his hand again.

"You troublesome thing, do you know how worried I've been all these years? You pretended to be useless, and I was afraid you really would become useless. You didn't fight or compete, and I was afraid you'd be harmed. You did so many things in secret, and I was afraid you wouldn't be able to handle it. You are my son, and I don't want anything to happen to you."

Xiao Yan's eyes reddened.

He looked down at the ground.

Emperor Yong'an lowered his voice.

"I promised your mother I would take good care of you. I failed to do so. I let you hide in that cannibalistic place for so many years. I have failed you and your mother."

Xiao Yan raised his head to look at Emperor Yong'an, his voice trembling slightly. "Father, I don't blame you. I know you've had a hard life, and I'm only alive now because you protected me."

Emperor Yong'an looked into Xiao Yan's eyes. There was no resentment, no hatred, no blame in them.

This son, this son who pretended to be useless for over twenty years, this son he secretly protected for over twenty years—I don't blame him, I've never blamed him.

Emperor Yong'an turned his face away. "Alright, that's enough. I still have memorials to review. You may go back."

Xiao Yan did not leave. He looked at Emperor Yong'an.

"Father, I have something else to say."

Emperor Yong'an looked at him.

Xiao Yan's voice was firm.

"Your subject wishes to be the emperor."

Emperor Yong'an remained silent.

He looked at Xiao Yan's face, an expression he had never seen before—responsibility.

Xiao Yan said, "The Crown Prince is not suitable to be emperor, nor is the Second Prince. If the Crown Prince becomes emperor, the court will continue to rot. If the Second Prince becomes emperor, the court will be stained with blood. The Great Liang cannot be destroyed in their hands. Your subject wants to be emperor, not for yourself, but for the people of the Great Liang."

Emperor Yong'an looked at Xiao Yan for a very long time.

He knew Xiao Yan was telling the truth. This son wasn't vying for the throne; he was shouldering responsibility. He didn't want to be emperor, but he had to.

Emperor Yong'an turned around and walked back behind the dragon desk to sit down.

"I understand."

He picked up his vermilion pen and continued to annotate the composing.

"Go back and prepare. Do what needs to be done. I'm old and can't interfere anymore."

Xiao Yan knelt down and kowtowed.

"Your subject takes his leave."

He stood up and walked to the door, where he heard the voice of Emperor Yong'an behind him.

"Sixth Brother."

Xiao Yan stopped.

Emperor Yong'an's voice was hoarse and low, and he spoke very slowly, as if he was afraid that he would not be able to speak if he spoke too fast.

"If your mother knew what you look like now, she would be happy."

Xiao Yan's eyes reddened.

He didn't turn around and walked out.

The door to the imperial study closed behind him. Emperor Yong'an put down his vermilion brush, leaned back in his chair, looked at the empty doorway, and muttered to himself, "You're certainly better than your father."

Gao Dequan walked in from outside, carrying a bowl of ginseng soup that had long since gone cold.

"Your Majesty, the ginseng soup has gone cold. This old servant will go and get a fresh bowl."

Emperor Yong'an did not respond.

He took the bowl of ginseng soup from Gao Dequan, drank it all in one gulp, and found it cold and somewhat fishy.

Gao Dequan looked at the emperor. Having served the emperor for so many years, he had never seen the emperor like this before.

A father finally heard the truth from his son, and the weight on his heart was lifted, but the sound of the weight hitting him was painful.

Emperor Yong'an picked up his vermilion brush and continued to annotate the memorials.

When Xiao Yan walked out of the imperial city, the sun was shining brightly.

He stood outside the palace gate, looking up at the sky. The sky was very blue, so blue it was almost blinding.

He narrowed his eyes.

He told his father.

He is the owner of the Thousand Machines Pavilion, and he likes Su Jiuge.

He had kept these two things to himself for a long time, but he revealed them today.

He wasn't afraid of what his father would think if he found out.

On February 22nd of the eighteenth year of Yong'an, Xiao Yan finally removed his mask.

It's not a mask worn in the court, but a mask in one's heart.

He acted like a son in front of his father.

He was himself again in front of Su Jiuge.